TROY, N.Y. – The top-seeded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team advanced to the Liberty League Tournament Championship game with a hard-fought 62-58 semifinal victory over No. 4 seed St. Lawrence University tonight in ECAV Arena.
PJ Scalisi led the Engineers with 16 points, knocking down four three-pointers and going 4-for-6 at the line, while Billy Feeks added 15 points on a 5-for-8 effort from beyond the arc. Andrew Deppe delivered a steady all-around performance with 11 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, and Kellen Driscoll contributed nine points and five boards in the victory.
RPI established control in the opening half behind sharp perimeter shooting and interior execution. Feeks and Scalisi connected from deep early, and Deppe orchestrated the offense with four assists on the night as the Engineers built a double-digit cushion. A late surge in the first half for RPI capped by Driscoll's layup and Deppe's mid-range jumper pushed RPI to a 10-point lead, 34-24, while holding the Saints to 39 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes.
St. Lawrence responded in the second half, trimming their 10-point deficit behind Dan Anderson's 17 points and Adam Dudzinski's 15-point effort. The Saints eventually tied the game at 58-58 with just over a minute remaining, setting up a close ending. RPI answered immediately, Deppe powered to the rim for a go-ahead layup with 43 seconds left, and the Engineers locked in defensively on the ensuing possession.
Scalisi hit a free throw with 13 seconds remaining, and Driscoll was 1-for-2 at the line down the stretch to extend the Engineers' lead to four. A pair of three-point attempts by St. Lawrence in the final seconds fell short, then Driscoll secured the defensive rebound to seal the 62-58 victory.
As a team, RPI shot 43.5 percent from the floor, hit 10 three-pointers, and forced 12 turnovers.
The Engineers will host No. 3 seed Vassar College in the 2026 Liberty League title game at 2:00 pm on Suday, March 1 at ECAV Arena.